Tell Me the Truth
by HarborHaddock
Summary: 8 months after the events of HTTYD 2, the Hooligan tribe can finally return to their island and resume their everyday lives. But little do any of them know, struggles and trials loom on the horizon...
1. Chapter 1: Return to Berk

**Chapter 1: Return to** Berk

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 _This is Berk. Sure, it's a little banged up, but if you knew what we've been through to protect this little island, you would be surprised it's not in worse condition. But, thanks to the hard work of the Berkian residents, a lot of the repair work has been done, and we can finally go home. Yes, we had to evacuate Berk last year before Devastating Winter with all its snowstorms got here, or we would freeze to death. See, 8 months ago this evil guy named Drago Bludfist came here with his ice-breathing Bewilderbeast pal and completely blew this place to bits with ice that's stronger than concrete. It's no match for our dragons though. You heard me right, dragons. We are friends with dragons, we live with dragons, and we ride dragons. Which reminds me. I need to go and set up the Dragon Race course._

A large group of Vikings was working in a large open area, the training arena, which was completely covered in ice. The chain-linked roof, buckling in some places due to the weight it was bearing, had a second roof, ice. Ice was arched perfectly, beautifully over it, and the sunlight found its way through it, turning the arena air slightly aquamarine, the color of the ice. Water dripped from the criss-cross wires, evidence of the melting ice. People were gathered in groups, working on projects together, headed and directed by their chief, who had just been declared such a few months earlier.

"Hiccup! Can I get some help over here, or not?"

"Coming Astrid, be right there!"

Hiccup carefully set down the chisel and hammer he was using to break the ice away from the cage doors in the arena. He almost had it all done, but he kept getting interrupted. First he had to decide what to work on, who could do it, and where and when. Heaving a sigh, he walked over to go help his girlfriend, Astrid, who was holding an extremely large piece of ice that she had just cut from blocking the doorway of the arena. There was only one way to get in or out right now: squeezing past the ice that had flown down the path leading in, freezing as it went. And only slender Vikings could get through, not practical at all. Astrid was bent over by the weight of the huge ice block, barely holding onto the wet surface. He bent, hands locking over the other end, and gave her a smile over the top of the ice. She smiled back, and then nodded over to the dripping pile of discarded ice chunks where they would put it. A few drops landed on her hair and face, and again he was intrigued by how beautiful she was. Then, he looked up to find the source of the drips, and found it. Dragons were flying by the roof of the arena, melting ice and snow away from it so there was no longer a threat of collapse. Valka, Hiccup's mother, was instructing the dragons to carefully melt the ice off the floor-frozen puddles so no one would slip and crack their head open. Goodness knows they didn't need any more drama, or injuries for that matter. During their stay on the island belonging to their allies and friends, the Bog Burglars, they had delivered 3 babies, set dozens of broken bones, cured dozens of people with various illnesses, and Thor knows what else. Vikings weren't exactly the most careful of people...

After Hiccup finished helping Astrid move the ice block to the pile waiting to be melted, he turned around to look over what was being done. As the new chief of Berk, he had to be sure that things were getting done the way they needed to be done and in a timely fashion. His people counted on it, his job demanded it. And with all the added stress from cleaning up after the drama with Drago, there was a lot to be done. Quite a lot for the 21-year-old to handle.

Hiccup spotted Snotlout, his cousin ONLY by marriage, (thank Thor) sitting idle and admiring himself in "his shiny", something he had gotten from Breakneck Bog when they went there looking for Trader Joanne, goodness, how many years ago was that, 5 now? It was a surprise that he still had it after all those years. Snapping out of his thoughts, Hiccup walked over to Snotlout. "What are you doing?"

Snotlout barely gave him a glance before staring down at his shiny one again. "I dunno, just thinking I guess. Hiccup, do you think I'll ever get a lasting girlfriend?"

"What? What about Ruffnut?"

"She dumped me yesterday. Apparently, she decided she wanted to be with Fishlegs." He nearly sneered the name.

"Well, that's kinda her decision. Either way, I'm sure you'll find someone to settle down with in good time."

"Easy for you to say. You have Astrid. You always have. And she clearly wants to be with you, not me, and there isn't really anyone else in our age group."

"First of all, Astrid and I have had our fair share of problems. Remember what happened with Heather?"

"Oh yeah, Heather." All of the sudden, Snotlout got really distant, and his eyes started glazing over.

"Speaking of which, why don't you try writing to Heather? Maybe she'll come to Berk for another visit, this time on better terms."

"Maybe I'll try that. See ya!" With that, he jumped up and ran off in the direction of his house, completely forgetting that they were trying to clean up the arena.

"Oh well, I guess our day just got a little longer, huh bud?" he asked the Nightfury sitting behind him. "Nothing we can't handle though, right?" The dragon cooed in response.

Just then Valka called to him. "Hiccup, all the ice is off the floor and the ceiling and the doors are all unblocked. I don't think there's much left to do here, so I'm going to take the dragons and start melting off the houses and the village square. Sound okay?"

"Yeah Hiccup, now you get to give the orders," said Astrid, coming up behind him and kissing him on the cheek. "So you get to decide if something is a good idea or not."

"Oh yeah, thanks, no pressure, right?" Hiccup asked, rolling his eyes.

"No, there is no pressure at all. You were a natural-born leader, and you can't deny that. You are level-headed in all situations, and you are a good thinker, which means you can make the best decisions. Unlike me, I'm a fighter. You know that. I just jump into any situation with my battle ax ready. That's how you balance me and I balance you." Astrid explained.

"You're supposed to say that, you're my girlfriend."

"Maybe, but it's true."

"Uh, Hiccup, about the village square?" Valka interrupted. "I really think we're wasting time standing here."

"Oh yeah, sorry. That sounds like a good idea except before you do the houses could you do the Great Hall? We can serve food and have shelter there once we get the repair work done."

"See? Best decisions."

"Astrid. I get it, okay?" He met his girlfriend's eyes, and smiled a little.

"Just pointing out the obvious," she laughed.

Valka gathered up the dragons from around the arena and went off to melt the ice off the Great Hall, leaving Hiccup and Astrid alone...or so they thought. Tuffnut was sneaking up behind them unnoticed.

"Look, I'm gonna go and unblock all the drains in here so all this water can go somewhere instead of sitting and freezing people's feet. I'll talk to you later." With that, Astrid reached up, pecked Hiccup a kiss, and ran off toward one of the many drains in the arena.

"Oh, gross, don't you think you guys could do that somewhere else? Or maybe get a room?" Hiccup turned beet red, and Tuffnut snickered at his reaction. "I mean, really, my sister's like, 'Hiccstrid forever!' and all that, so it makes my life unpleasant."

"Hiccstrid? Who's idea was that?"

"I don't know. I know it couldn't be my sister's because she's dumb so she couldn't possibly come up with it." Tuffnut continued to list reasons why Ruffnut couldn't come up with the expression Hiccstrid, failing to realize his sister now standing just off his right shoulder. Suddenly, he was socked so hard he stumbled forward. "Oh, hi Ruff, didn't see you there," he chuckled nervously. When his sister was mad, it was best to run the other way...or deal with a dislocated limb.

"First of all, for your information, Tuffnut," she sneered, "that was Fishleg's idea. Second, I am NOT dumb!"

"Well, you do some pretty dumb stuff," he answered.

"Like what? Oh wait, you mean how I painted your toenails purple last night while you were sleeping?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm-what? You did WHAT?!" He quickly slid off his boot and, much to his shock, found 5 nicely painted nails. Hiccup snorted in an attempt to hide his laughter. Tuff quickly slid off his other boot to find the same result. Now Hiccup wasn't even trying to hide his laughter as he doubled over with both hands on his stomach.

"Well, Tuffnut, I guess you couldn't wait until the Thawfest dragon race to sport colors, huh? Except next time, stick to the facepaint, ok?" Hiccup teased.

"Hey guys, what's so funny?" Fishlegs walked up behind them, Meatlug following close behind. "Oh, Tuff! What happened to your feet?"

"Nothing, it's nothing, really. Just my stupid idiotic sister causing trouble, as usual." This was closely followed by a punch, which Tuff returned, and in a matter of seconds, the twins were falling over each other in their mission to punch the other faster than said other could punch them. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Just another ordinary day on Berk" he commented sarcastically. "Happy return-to-Berk week to me. So much for a Dragon Race..."

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 _Hey, hope you enjoyed! Leave me a review if you did!_


	2. Chapter 2: Chaos

_Hey guys! Whoa, I got an amazing response from the first chapter! I did not expect that! Truth be told, I've had this story written for over two years, and I recently found it buried in my documents and was inspired to post it. I have several sequels to it too. It's a mini-series. Focusing on this story now, I will post chapters as fast as I can edit/rewrite them. If you guys want a sequel later on, I can potentially start posting that one too. Anyway, I have an original story called Second Generation Haddock, and the only reason that one isn't being updated as fast as this one is because I have to actually write it. I'm still figuring out what I want with that one. Feel free to check that one out if you want._

 _Enjoy!_

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 **Chapter 2: Chaos**

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As Hiccup looked around him at the chaos that was quickly spinning out of control, he was finally starting to see how hard chiefing really was- and because of that, he started to appreciate everything his father did all the years he was chief until...

Hiccup pushed that thought out of his mind and rushed over to where the twins were rolling around on the floor giving each other black eyes- or worse.

"Guys, come on! We need to focus here!" His requests went unheeded as Ruffnut and Tuffnut were too busy yelling threats (or were they death threats?) at each other. He tried unsuccessfully to get their attention until…

BANG!

A large series of clatters followed by muffled screeching was heard from behind him. He whipped around, forgetting about the twins for the moment. "Please Thor please don't be... oh no, oh gods no." He finished turning around only to see his dreaded suspicions were correct: the Terrible Terrors had found the food storage and were now fighting over it. As if there wasn't enough food to go around, they had to fight over it. But, then again, they fought over everything. He squatted by the terrors fighting near the bread baskets and coaxed, "Come on, guys, leave that stuff alone! We need the food because the dragons can't go fishing right now. They're trying to melt all the ice so we can live on Berk again. It's taking a lot longer than I thought it would. I wonder what's in the ice that makes it so strong..." He muttered the last bit mostly to himself. The dragons looked at him, cocked their heads, and stared at him for a moment, almost asking him to go on, they were confused, they needed more information as to why they couldn't eat these delicious-looking articles of food. Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe just maybe this particular fiasco - _one out of many many, more to handle_ , Hiccup thought- would come to the desired ending, the Terrors peacefully leaving the bread in his hands...

"Ahh!" Too late. The dragons flew over his head, still fighting. Hiccup noted the left-behind bread only to notice where the Terrible Terrors -who were living up to their name- were headed... and he could do nothing but gasp. They flew over to the fish baskets and started fighting over the biggest fish. "Oh, come on! They're like 2-year-olds! They can _not_ be reasoned with!" Hiccup sighed in exasperation. Then, someone screamed his name. He sounded frantic. He sounded like... "Gobber?! What do you need?"

"The forge! It's on fire! Grump was napping, as usual, and all of the sudden he turned and fired and set all the dry kindling on fire! We need to get buckets up there or there will be no forge left to speak about!"

Hiccup sighed. "Not again!"

He looked around him for some Vikings he could send on a bucket team so he could stay and supervise here. But all around him, was a decidedly astounding mess, even for Vikings. And that's saying something. There was food everywhere, deep puddles of melted snow, Vikings fighting Vikings, dragons fighting dragons, Vikings fighting dragons, and...and...

"Stop it, everyone! Does nobody hear me?! I am your chief!" Hiccup belted out.

Everyone froze. All eyes turned to him. Nobody had ever heard Hiccup yell anything unless he was yelling because he was in danger. He was a very soft-spoken, patient man. What made him snap?

"Hiccup, is everything ok?" Astrid asked, coming up behind a panting Hiccup. "You know, yelling doesn't help anything. Neither does panicking. Sit down." She motioned to a temporary bench placed nearby. "Catch your breath, calm down a little. Get some water. You've got a lot of water to choose from." She gestured to the countless puddles of varying sizes around them. Hiccup snickered in response. "I'll take care of things here."

"But-"

"No. Sit." She looked menacing, almost threatening.

"Yes, ma'am." He had no choice if he wanted to keep his head. When she got like that, it was best to shut your mouth and do as she said-or suffer the consequences. "So much for a pride of Berk..."

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 _Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are always appreciated!_


	3. Chapter 3: Distress

_Wow! 3 favorites in 3 days! I think that's pretty great, thanks so much! It is so appreciated! A lot happens in not a lot of time in this chapter, but this is the longest chapter in the book so far! Over 2,000 words. Yay!_

 _Without further ado, chapter 3!_

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 **Chapter 3: Distress**

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Hiccup sat down on the bench Astrid had motioned to and looked around him. How could have things gotten so out of control in a matter of five minutes? How had he lost control, lost attention, lost productivity in the workplace? Some chief he was.

"Ok Mulch, you're good at peacemaking. Can you get the twins to stop fighting? And you would be a miracle worker if you could get them to actually work together agreeably on something, how about clearing drains? I got a few done but not all of them. I'm going to put them on the forge project once I can get some order in here so I can actually hear myself think. Fishlegs, take Meatlug and go find Snotlout. Tell him now is not the time for love letters to faraway islands. Bucket, Spitelout, you finish clearing the ice away from the floor and put the chunks outside in the sun. Valka will have the dragons melt whatever's left when she gets back from the Great Hall. And then once the twins have the drains free you can sweep the biggest of the puddles down them."

Hiccup watched as Astrid directed the arena back to order within seconds. He marveled at how her authoritative nature demanded attention and respect and obedience. She had people calming and caging dragons- "Only for as long as necessary and not a minute longer. I don't like it any more than you do but we can't have them flying around here wreaking havoc, can we?"- she had people melting and moving ice, sweeping water away, clearing drains, and just generally cleaning up one of the most important places to clean right now- where the dragons were to be kept until they had the individual stables rebuilt at everyone's separate houses.

Once a form of order had been restored once again, Hiccup watched as Astrid organized a bucket team to help with the forge. "Okay, Spitelout, Snotlout, and Fishlegs, you all are on the hauling duty. You'll send your dragons to the well to get water and then, once they get to you, you'll get it to the people who are going to be trying to put out the fire. Phlegma, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut, you guys, along with Gobber and all the water dragons, are going to be trying to put out the fire. I am going to stay here and help finish up getting this place back to normal so we can get the baby dragons and their moms resting. Sound okay to everyone?"

Everyone nodded and murmured their agreement and then ran off in their separate directions to do their jobs. Astrid nodded to herself. "Okay then."

Then she turned to Hiccup. "You okay? That was very much unlike you. You really startled everyone."

"Yeah, I'm fine, I think the lack of sleep is starting to get to me though. I think I'm gonna go back to my house and try to get some rest. I have a headache." Hiccup answered.

"Okay. You sure nothing else is up? We can talk about it.".

"No, nothing else. I'm fine. Really." Hiccup lied through his teeth. He felt really bad lying to her, but he didn't want to force his real burdens on her. He didn't even want her to have to take care of the village, but she had already made it quite clear that he didn't have a choice in that matter.

Hiccup got up on his feet- no, foot- and dragged himself to his house. Once he got there, he closed the door behind him, and then leaned against it, blowing out a big breath. Why did everything have to be so difficult? Why did it feel like he was faking it, day to day to day? Why did everything have to be against him? And back to the issue he had had back when he was little, six years ago, why did the gods hate him? What had he done to deserve what he was getting?

Back outside, the Vikings were fighting the forge fire, but things were not looking good for the team. The hauling Vikings and dragons were doing a great job, but they just weren't fast enough. The fighting Vikings needed water faster than they were getting it. There just weren't enough Vikings working, but that couldn't be helped since most of the Hooligans were still on the nearby island, waiting to come back.

Astrid had her hands full in the arena, cleaning up after the mess that had been made during those few moments of chaos. She had overseen most of it getting done, but not all of it.

"Ok, we have a couple holes in the caged roof up there and we need to get them repaired before we can get the dragons in here again. Who wants to be on that job?" A couple of Vikings stepped forward and Astrid instructed them in what to do, giving them the locations of the materials they would need. But she felt like she couldn't concentrate. She felt like she was being pulled somewhere else, she was needed somewhere else. But where?

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Hiccup dragged himself up the stairs to the loft of his childhood home, which was now only his home. His mom had gotten a small hut to herself closer to the arena instead of staying with Hiccup, saying that she was sure he would appreciate the extra space to himself and she could then operate the academy out of that house. This house had too many memories, of his father, him and his father, and himself growing up. Not to mention him and Astrid. A couple of times she had even snuck in at night, right under his dad's nose. He chuckled at the thought. One of the times he could remember that had a reason was the day after he was trying to help "village-train" the dragons of Berk so that they would stop wreaking havoc on the village. She had snuck in and helped him figure out a plan and then talk through it several times until he stopped freaking out. That had been a long night. Another time she had snuck in through his window, just to see him. That had led to a light-hearted talk, which had turned into something a little more. The main reason he had turned so red after Tuffnut had made that rather suggestive comment was because little did he know how many times it had almost come down to that. He shook himself out of his memories, realizing he had stopped in the middle of the staircase and was currently leaning against the wall. He hurriedly climbed up the rest of the stairs and into his room. Maybe if he went to sleep, he would wake up feeling a little more emotionally stable.

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Astrid had finally decided where she was needed- Hiccup's house. But she knew that Hiccup had said that he had a headache, and she also knew that he was probably sleeping. So she decided to go to someone for advice- Valka. His own mother. Surely she would know what she could do to help Hiccup. Valka had been spending a lot of time with him lately, surely they talked some, right? She would know how to get Hiccup to surrender some of his burdens since he was practically running himself into the ground right now.

She walked over to the Great Hall, where Valka was hard at work repairing it. "Valka, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure, dear, what's on your mind?"

"Well, I need your advice. About Hiccup. See, I know something's wrong with Hiccup because I can tell that he's not sleeping well. He has really heavy dark circles under his eyes. Plus, I can tell he's under a lot of stress trying to chief the village and help get it cleaned up. And he's only going to be more miserable once he hears that we couldn't save the forge. And I know that's he's at his breaking point because of what happened at the arena."

"What happened at the arena?"

"Oh, right, you weren't there. Well, things were getting a little out of hand. The Terrors had found the food storage, and everyone was fighting. All that was needed was a little firm leadership, but the amount of chaos that erupted so quickly was too much for him. He yelled at everybody. It's not like him."

"Oh my. I've not been around as long as you but I do agree that that's very out of character for him."

"Right. He basically couldn't take it anymore. So I made him sit down and drink some water, and I gave all the Vikings and dragons something to do. Keep them occupied, you know?"

"Always a good thing."

"Right. But then Hiccup went back to his house saying that he had a headache, but I know that that wasn't true because I can tell when he's lying. He's not a good liar. But he went anyway. Which was okay with me. He needs a break. And I'm more than happy to take care of things for the rest of the day. But all he needed to do was ask when he could tell he couldn't do it anymore, and I'm willing to do it. I just wished he asked." Astrid's shoulders slumped when she realized how much it hurt that he hadn't.

"Oh, Astrid. He didn't intend to hurt your feelings. He's a sensitive man, and I'm sure he felt like he didn't want to burden you. He loves you, you know?" Astrid blinked. "Maybe he's never said it outright, but think about it. I can tell just in the way he looks at you. He really does care about you. A lot."

"I know he feels like he would be a burden, but he wouldn't be."

"Have you told him that?"

"Well... no."

"Maybe if you told him that, he would be more open to asking you for help. Why don't you try that?"

"Okay, I will. Thank you!" And so, that was that. She thanked Valka for her help and then turned on her heel and ran off toward Hiccup's house. She hoped he would let her in, that he wasn't sleeping. That he would listen to her, and be open to her suggestion to let her help. She hoped, but she didn't know.

Once she got to Hiccup's house, she walked up the stairs to his door and then hesitated before she knocked. She really didn't want to wake him up, but she had no choice. She knocked.

The knock startled Hiccup awake. He had fallen asleep against his bedroom hatch after he had closed it. He just didn't make it to his bed... He yawned and then opened his bedroom hatch and started walking down the stairs to answer the door. Who could possibly be bothering him right now?

Astrid heard the hatch open and winced. Apparently, she had woken him up. She felt really bad for him. She could tell that he was tired and needed the rest. But, things had to be said that couldn't wait. She needed to say this before she forgot. She really didn't want to forget because this was important, at least to her.

Hiccup opened the door to find Astrid standing outside. "Hi, Astrid. (yawn) Why are you here?"

"Well, uh, I have something I need to tell you. Something important."

"Oh?" Hiccup leaned against the doorframe.

"Yeah. See, I know that you're not telling me the truth. And that's not okay, Hiccup. If we're going to make this relationship work, there needs to be effective communication."

Hiccup stiffened, looking Astrid in the eye in a way that made her blood run cold. "IF we're going to make this work? You think that this relationship going stale?"

"What? No! I didn't say that at all." She took a step toward him.

"But you didn't not-say it. You were thinking it."

"What?! I-"

"No. I don't want to hear it. I don't think this is going to work. I need some time. Okay? I'm done right now. I have too many other things to worry about to spend time trying to worry about making this work." Hiccup stepped away from her and started to close the door. Astrid put her hand on it.

"So you're breaking up with me." She said it almost as a question.

"In a word, yes. I'm just not feeling it right now and I have too much to worry about, things that take priority over this."

"Take priority over... Hiccup. Please. You're not thinking clearly."

"Not thinking clearly? Not thinking clearly?! Another reason why this isn't working, you're always criticizing me. Making fun of me. Evaluating me. I can't take that anymore. I'm sorry." And he finally closed the door and went back to bed.

Astrid stood outside his door, stunned and shaking. How? She had gone there only to tell him she was going to help him. And he had broken up with her? And then shut the door in her face?! Insensitive. That's what he was. His mother was completely wrong about him.

She started storming back to the arena, only to stop and change her mind. She didn't need to help him out anymore. He had broken up with her. If he didn't want her as his girlfriend anymore, then he wouldn't have her help anymore either. She walked back up to her house, got her ax, and headed to the forest to do something she hadn't done in a _very long while_ : butcher the forest and make it bow down to her in her wrath.

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 _Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed! And that you stick with this story despite what happened... it pains me too. Don't worry, I have a plan. You'll never guess what it is, but trust me! Reviews are always appreciated!_


	4. Chapter 4: Where's My Ax?

_Two updates in one day! Lucky you guys! I was motivated to get another one up. Additionally, I don't know how often I'll be able to post in the next week or so... so... hopefully two chapters today helps make up for that!_

 _Anyway, enjoy the chapter!_

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 **Chapter 4: Where's My Ax?**

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When Astrid eventually got to the forest, tears were streaming down her face. How, why, would her boyfriend, whom she liked, okay fine, she loved, break up with her? Deep down in her heart, she knew that the lack of sleep was getting to his mind and causing him to not think properly or clearly, but she didn't ever think he would go this far. She would never have guessed him to do this. She would've liked to think that he still had some common sense in him, but apparently he didn't. He had broken up with her. Hiccstrid, the expression she had heard going around the village, was officially over. They were no more.

She scrubbed the tears from her face-Viking women didn't cry after all- and angrily started chucking her ax anywhere and everywhere. She didn't care if she hurt anyone, even herself. Her life, her other half, was gone. Dead. Forevermore, starting now. She couldn't seem to wrap her head around it. How was this possible? She really didn't see this coming. If she had known that things were going to happen like this she wouldn't have come to see him at all, she would've let him sleep. Maybe then things wouldn't have ended the way they did. Maybe then-

"Hey girl, are you _trying_ to kill me?"

"Ruff!" Astrid shrieked, whipping around. All Ruffnut had to do was look at Astrid's tear-streaked face to know that Astrid's world had come crashing in on her in a matter of moments.

"What happened to you? Did Stormfly get hurt? Or Arrow?" Ruff asked, referring to Stormfly's baby nadder that had hatched while away from Berk.

"No….."

"What's wrong then? Spill the beans, because your best friend's here to save the day. Wait, that sounds corny." Her best girlfriend looked at a tree thoughtfully, trying to come up with a better thing to say.

"You can't save this Ruff." Astrid turned away.

"Are you dying? Because that would be kinda cool." Astrid whipped her head around and glared at her. "Sorry, sorry. What's going on? You can tell me."

"I'd rather you hear it from me than village gossip."

"Hear _WHAT_!?"

Astrid took a deep breath. "Hiccup broke up with me."

"Come again? I think I'm hallucinating here. Wow, cool, hallucinating."

"I know, right?"

"Woah. Are you ok? You never agree with me."

"No! How in the _world_ could he have gone so far as to….as to…." Astrid couldn't finish because she was crying too hard.

"Okay, okay. There there. Auntie Ruffie here will make everything all better for-"

"RUFFNUT THORSTON!" Astrid stood panting, and took a breath. This wasn't her fault. "Shut up, would you?"

"Okay, maybe this isn't the best time. Gosh, where did your sense of humor go?"

"I want to die." Astrid sat on a log with a solid thunk, barely noticing the impact and sting that resulted.

"Let's not be suicidal here. You have so much to live for." Ruffnut walked over to her friend, putting a hand on her shoulder. Astrid wouldn't meet her eyes.

"No, I don't. Not anymore. I have nothing."

"Astrid. What about Stormfly, Arrow, and all your friends? Your tribe? Your family?"

"Stormfly's a good girl, she'll listen to someone else. And Arrow's too little to know any better or be attached to me. And all of you guys would be better off without me. All I ever did was punch you, and be mean to you."

"That's not true. In the past couple years you've really gotten out of that spree, grown up, gotten more mature."

Astrid met her eyes now and scowled. "Gee, thanks."

"Oh stop it. I thought Astrid Hofferson never showed her true feelings."

"Who do you think is the _one_ and _only_ person I _ever_ told my true feelings to?" She stood up and walked away, hunting for her ax she had hurled toward a tree.

"Ohhhhhh..."

"I want to die. Where's my ax?"

"Okay. That's it. I'm taking you to Valka." The determination in her voice was unmissable, even to Astrid in her current mental state.

"What?! NO! I am _NOT_ going to see my ex-boyfriend's mother. I will _KILL_ you before that happens."

"Oh, so now you're suicidal and homicidal. That's lovely. Let's go." Ruff roller her eyes and took Astrid's arm.

"Why her?" Astrid dug her heels in, forcing Ruffnut to stop and look at her.

"She's good with nutcases."

"I'm not even going to comment."

"You probably shouldn't." Once they got to Valka's house, it had taken nearly 3 times as long as it should have, considering Astrid was fighting Ruffnut the whole way there. But, they finally got there.

"Valka! Valka, we need you now!"

"Coming Ruffnut, be right there!" Valka came hurrying out of her house as quickly as she could, thinking a dragon was hurt, or someone needed advice on how to train or take care of a specific dragon species. "Okay, which species seems to be the problem here?" she asked, coming out of her house.

"Well, she's not really a dragon…. but could you make her one? That would be _really cool!_ " She bounced on her toes eagerly.

"Um, I don't think so," Astrid hissed.

"Haha, you're almost there, Astrid! Put more, I don't know, growl in it. Try that."

"Ruffnut, I think that perhaps now isn't the best time for Astrid to be doing this. How about you go check on Barf and Belch, and I'll talk to Astrid. Does that sound okay to you?"

"Yeah, sure, okay, fine, whatever. I'll be at the arena if you need me," Ruffnut mumbled, ambling off in the the general direction of the arena. Both women left knew she would make it there… eventually.

"Now then. What went so terribly wrong that it moved you to tears, my girl?"

"I… He… Well…"

"Okay. Let me see if I can help you. Are you talking about a person?" Valka sat down on the front step, motioning for Astrid to sit next to her.

Sighing, she sat. "Yes."

"I see. A person very near and dear to you?"

"Yep."

"Okay. I don't think it's Ruffnut considering she was here just a minute ago and she seemed okay. I know it's not me. Hiccup?"

"Yep." Astrid felt tears building up now.

"Is he sick?"

She sighed. "I don't know. He didn't seem like it. Think terrible, drastic, something you wouldn't expect or see coming."

"Oh dear. It's very bad then."

"Valka, he…"

"Yes?"

"He.. broke up with me."

"He…. oh my. Poor girl. Come here."

Astrid looked at her would-be mother-in-law with absolute defeat. Valka wrapped her arms around the broken girl and squeezed, almost as if she was trying to protect her from all the sorrow and torture the girl had been through in the last hour, like a mother hen might wrap her wings around her chicks if it were to rain. So delicate was the hug that a few tears slipped past Astrid's tightly closed eyes, dropping onto Valka's shirt. She slowly put her hands on Valka's back and squeezed back.

"Let it out, darling. Nobody can keep that much sorrow inside them. It's not possible nor is it healthy." And so she did. She cried, after years of telling herself that Viking girls didn't cry and she had to be stronger than that, she finally let the dam burst. She cried until there was not one tear left to cry, and only then did Valka release the grip.

Astrid looked into Valka's warm hazel eyes. "Thank you, Valka. I needed someone right then. Normally, well, _he_ would be there, but…."

Valka smiled then. "I'm glad to be here. Does your mother know?"

"Um….. We don't talk about her. Please respect that. We don't talk about either of my parents. Or family. Sorry."

"Another issue for another time but I'm sure we can work it out. Now then. I'm going to talk to Hiccup."

"What?! WHY?" Astrid's eyes widened in surprise.

"Because I want to know why he did that. Plain and simple. I would suggest you find something to do to get yourself distracted. Why don't you take Stormfly out?"

"I think I will. Thanks Valka." Astrid knew that if anyone could make her feel better while Valka was talking to Hiccup, it would be her dragon. Astrid ran to the arena, ignoring the other Vikings' judging stares, and once she got to the arena, she was relieved to find it empty. Ironic, but convenient.

"Hi, my Arrow! By Thor, you're getting so big already! How does this happen?" Astrid asked the mini-Stormfly, kneeling beside him. Then she heard heavier footsteps and looked up to see just the dragon she was looking for.

"Storm! Oh, it's been so long! I haven't flown you in a long time but Arrow needs you here. But right now, I really really need a flight, so he'll be fine with his daddy, don't you think?" Astrid asked, referring to Stormfly's mate, Charger, a few stalls down. If you looked closely at their baby, you could see the resemblance to his father. "I'm gonna take him down there right now and then we'll get you ready to go, ok baby? And yes, I do remember you're here, mini-baby!" Astrid cooed, bending down to stroke the nadder brushing against her feet. She carefully gathered the baby in her arms, minding the semi-sharp spines on his tail. She then walked out of Stormfly's stall and stopped five stalls later, in front of Changer's stall.

"Charger, you've got company!" Charger poked his head through the now-open door and eyed Astrid. Recognizing her, he then turned his attention to the bundle of spines in her arms. He sniffed it suspiciously. He recognized it as a combination of him, his mate, and a whole new scent unique to the baby and him alone. He knew who it was and nuzzled the baby gently and then snorted at Astrid, which meant to please set him down.

"Thanks, boy, I really appreciate it. I needed some time with Stormfly, you know? Be good, Arrow! I'll see you later, Charger. Watch him, now, Charger, ok? I'll be back in an hour and a half." The dragon snorted and seemed to nod in response. With that, Astrid closed the stall door and ran back to Stormfly's stall.

"Oh, Stormfly, my life is a complete and horrible mess right now. Remember Hiccup?" Stormfly tossed her head and snorted. Of course she remembered her owner's mate. Though come to think of it, humans had the strangest of mating rituals…. like when they put their faces together and then made weird noises, kind of like, smacking, maybe, but not really….. Astrid was oblivious to the thoughts in Stormfly's intelligent brain and went on to explain to Stormfly about what was going on. After all, sometimes a girl needs to vent, right?

"Oh, Stormfly, Hiccup broke up with me! I mean, how can he justify that? I did nothing to deserve it, and he snapped my head off with his insensitive, unobservant ranting about everything I was doing wrong, and then he said we shouldn't be together anymore, and then he shut the door in my face like some rude idiotic madman. Who does that? I mean, Hiccup obviously, but I thought he was better than that. Apparently, I was wrong." Astrid stopped realizing two things: one, she had said all that in one breath and was probably lucky she didn't pass out, and two, she had tears streaming down her face yet again, except these tears were not tears of sorrow and agony, but tears of anger and confusion and the hurt that comes with someone close to you breaking your trust- and your heart.

Especially when you're Astrid.

Especially when you're Astrid, and life had been one trial after another, until you fell in love with the most amazing man in the entire universe who made everything in your life perfect and okay and made you feel safe and secure and loved whenever you were near him and now all of a sudden he was gone. Now life was back to trial and hardship. If you knew Astrid's whole real story, you would understand why she was considering suicide, even willing to go through with it if her best friend wasn't there for her, strong in her moment of weakness. And then you would understand why it meant so much to her when Valka extended that hand of kindness and charity and caring when she needed it most. If you only knew. But you don't, and now Astrid is virtually alone in the big, demanding, taxing world and she doesn't know how she's going to deal with it. She just doesn't know. How could she, when she is a young, beautiful, blossoming woman of 21 years on this big bold earth, just making her way into adulthood? She doesn't have any experience in the break-up department, because Hiccup was all of her firsts: her first crush, her first friend-that's-kinda-more-than-a-friend-but-not-really, her first boyfriend. And now her first heartbreak. How, indeed, can Astrid do it anymore? But there is so much more to her, so much more, that no one, but _nobody_ , knows. Not even Hiccup. Not even Ruffnut. Not even Stormfly. Astrid isn't one to look back to the past, only one to look to the future and meet it with a battle plan. But if only you could understand. If only you knew.

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 _Astrid and Ruffnut time! Whoo hoo!_

 _Leave a review if you liked it! Also, constructive criticism is always welcomed, so if you have something to say, say it! :)_


	5. Chapter 5: Agnus

_Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to update, life has been crazy! This chapter is a bit shorter than the previous two, and I'm not quite happy with it, but I don't think there's much else to do with it. I think I'm just always going to be unhappy with it. That being said, this chapter is setting up a major plot point SO it should be interesting. Hopefully. :)_

 _Enjoy!_

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 **Chapter 5: Agnus**

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Astrid got back to Stormfly's pen and immediately started getting Stormfly ready for a much-deserved flight. She got her saddle and threw it onto her tall dragon's back, grabbing the straps from under her neck and tightening them to the proper length. Secure, but not too tight. She stuck her hand under the saddle to make sure it wasn't pinching Stormfly's back. Satisfied that her saddle was on right, Astrid got an extra coat- it got chilly up 5 miles!- and then signaled Stormfly to start moving out the door. Gripping the handle on her saddle, Astrid ran alongside her dragon, and then patted her side, telling her to go faster. Astrid's feet lifted off the ground from the momentum, and she used her abs to pull herself up onto the saddle. She stuck her feet into the stirrups, and then grasped the lower of the two sets of handles on her saddle- the flying ones. The other ones were the ones she used for getting on and during competitions when she needed to move sharply up or down with Stormfly, using her weight to direct her flight.

Stormfly lifted off of the ground at her rider's signal, and they flew out the door as one. Astrid loved this feeling, finally, she knew what flying felt like. Flying on the back of her beautiful, majestic dragon. The one who was so loyal, she would give her life for Astrid. She would protect Astrid at all costs, as she had proved several times.

Once they got out the door and up a little ways, Astrid shivered and was thankful that she had remembered to grab that extra layer back at the arena. There had been several times when she had forgotten to grab it when she was getting out in a rush because she was meeting a certain someone that she didn't want to think about right now. But those days were over.

"Oh girl, my life is such a mess right now! I can't even believe it! I did nothing, absolutely _nothing_ to deserve what I've gotten in the past hour, but I've gotten it anyway! I mean, the only person who could understand what I'm going through is Hicc-" Astrid let out a breath. She swallowed the rest of her words. Look at her. Talking to something that couldn't talk back. Granted, Stormfly was one of her best friends, but she couldn't talk back. She couldn't encourage Astrid to keep living her life. But, who could? Valka had been so tender and loving to her, that she had actually helped Astrid feel better for the moment. Maybe she should go back there.

Astrid nodded to herself. Then she remembered where Valka was right now and shuddered. Nope, not going there right now. Then she shook her head. She had thought that she just needed a ride on Stormfly, and then she would feel better. But she could see now that there was something else she needed to do, somewhere else she needed to go, someone else she needed to talk to. Stormfly would get a nice long flight afterward, but right now, Astrid was going to a place that she hadn't been to since she was little, to talk to a person she hadn't talked to in years: her sister, Agnus.

When Valka finally reached Hiccup's house, she was breathing hard from the run. Why did he have a house so far out of the heart of the village, anyway? He was the chief, for Thor's sake! What if he was needed and it took too long to get to where he was needed? No matter, she would address that issue at a later time. Right now, she wanted to know why he would completely break a girl that meant so much to him.

She knocked on the door, surprised to find it so sturdy after all these years. She briefly wondered what was in it that made it so strong. Then she laughed, recalling how Astrid had told her that Hiccup had said the very same thing about the Bewilderbeast's ice. Like mother, like son. She was yanked out of her thoughts when Hiccup opened the door.

It was obvious that he had been sleeping. He had a major bedhead. His long hair certainly was prone to those. He also had a pillow print on the left side of his face. But his eyes were bright, focused, and happy. The hour and a half's sleep had clearly paid off for the young man.

"Hiccup! How are you?" Valka smiled warmly at her son.

"I'm feeling much better, thank you. Um, no offense, but I thought you might be Astrid." Valka cringed to herself. Much like his father, if you woke him up when he was overtired, he would make some nasty, hasty actions and decisions that he normally wouldn't make- and then have no recollection of it after he woke up. Similar to someone who had too much mead, but without being intoxicated. He had no idea what he was about to hear, and Valka knew it would break his heart to hear it. But it had to be said.

"Hiccup, you're a lot like your father. You are not going to like what you're about to hear."

"What does dad have to do with anything?"

"Never mind that. Hiccup, Astrid won't be coming back to your house unless you do something about it."

"Why?" Hiccup's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Hiccup…. you broke up with her."

"I... WHAT?!"

"She woke you up to tell you she as going to help you and you took her head off verbally and then broke up with her. She's broken inside. Ruff brought her to me because she was considering suicide."

"Not my Astrid. She's the strongest person I know, including dad."

"Hiccup, you broke her. She needed you, and you let her down."

"Why in the world is me breaking up with her, which I didn't try to do, enough to make her consider suicide?"

"You don't know about her past?"

"Whenever I try to talk to her about it, she says quite politely that we don't talk about that, thank you. I figured she was violent then too and was ashamed of it."

"She never told you about Agnus?"

"Who's that?"

"We need to talk."

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 _As always, reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed with open arms! Hope you enjoyed!_


	6. Chapter 6: Fwoggy

_Hey guys! Sorry this took a bit to get up, but the cute fluffy story should make up for it! Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Fwoggy**

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"So that's her past, as far as I heard from Gobber. He helped her through it all, but I'm sure there's some of it he doesn't know. I'm sure there's some that no one knows but her." Valka finished her story and sighed, looking at her slumped, depressed-looking son.

Hiccup could do nothing but just sit in his chair, his tea long forgotten. He had no idea that Astrid was harboring such a big secret, keeping it inside her. He cringed to think of how long it had taken her to teach herself to hide every bit of how she was feeling. He would never have guessed. And he had thought he was the closest person to her. It's rudely funny how these things work sometimes. And Hiccup had just been played.

The gods hated him.

Again.

Oh, Loki! What had he done to deserve it _this_ time? He had completely unintentionally broken up with the most important person in his life.

* * *

Astrid reached her destination: Raven's point. Once she got there, she slid off Stormfly, patted her side reassuringly to let her know everything was ok (even though it wasn't), and slowly, heavily, walked over to the cliff. She stared down at the endless drop, remembering, recalling, rehearing the screams from that night so long ago. She wasn't going to jump-not this time-she was just going to think and try to sort out all her emotions that were all jumbled up. She backed up a few steps and sat down on the grass. She picked a fat, broad blade of grass, and absentmindedly started to dissect it, while her thoughts whirled. She remembered a memory that she hadn't thought if in ages, and she smiled as she remembered.

 _It was a normal summer's day in Berk, muggy, but not too hot. A north-westerly wind blew just enough to send Astrid's braid flowing gently behind her as she ran through the forest. Tears were streaming down the broken girl's face, still grieving over the recent deaths in the village from the latest dragon attack. Some of those people she had known. That scared the young 4-year-old. Would she be next?_

 _It was very normal for Astrid to seek refuge in the forest. The shade hid her and cooled her sweaty brow after a session of target practice with her new ax. She absolutely adored the thing, it was her favorite weapon, her most prized possession. She never went anywhere without it. It was always either strapped to her back, or in her hand by her side. Unless it was in a tree. But still._

 _On this particular day, Astrid was just running to get away from the village. Not going anywhere specific. Just running out her fear, anger, and hurt. Running was therapeutic and relaxing to her when she was this worked up. And no one seemed to care that a small girl went out on her own._

 _She darted in and out of bushes and around trees, getting more and more lost, but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything anymore. All of a sudden, she heard something. It sounded like… crying? How dare someone come out here in the middle of nowhere when she was out here! These were her woods! She crept through a bush, hoping it would fully conceal her but not block her vision, intending to spy on whatever- or whoever- it was that was crying. Sobbing. FOr a reason that she didn't know. But she wanted to know. Which is why she was spying. She pushed a branch slightly over to the right, and one beyond that over to the left, and then she could see who it was. She squinted, eyes adjusting to the sunlight in the clearing, and saw….. Hiccup? The village runt? The village embarrassment? Well of course he was crying! He was supposed to be the pride of Berk since he was the son of the chief, but he was a wimp, and almost always crying about something. The kids picked on him sometimes since he was so weak and limp and skinny and un-Viking. She did most of all. It was kinda fun because it made her feel like she had power, making someone else cry. But no one else was here. So why was he crying? She stood up and pushed through the bush, startling him. He looked at her with wide, green eyes, misty from his tears._

" _Oh, um, hi Astrid. I'll leave now."_

" _Are you crying?" Going straight for the kill. Her favorite method of interrogation._

" _Um-"_

" _Why are you crying?" It was obvious he was crying. She didn't need him to answer that._

" _I…. I'm lost. I didn't mean to get lost! I was just trying to catch a fwoggy and it got away! I just wanted to bring it to my dad so he would be proud of me, and maybe- OW!" Astrid had heard enough. She didn't ask for a pity-party from him, and his hopeless blubbering said that was what he was doing. She had punched him in the shoulder. Hard. But not as hard as she could have- and wanted to._

" _What was that for?" Hiccup whined, rubbing his shoulder where the impact had made a direct hit on every person's weak spot- right where the arm meets the socket. That girl had a scary good aim._

" _Stop whining. Stop crying. Come on." Astrid seized his hand and started pulling him in a direction that wasn't, well, here. She hoped he was convinced she would get him back to the village, even though she hadn't the faintest idea where they were herself._

 _She kept pulling at his hand, feeling every time he stumbled, and cringing on the inside, feeling his pain. Stubbed toes hurt. But she didn't let that on. She was Miss Strong, Unfeeling Girl, not Miss Softie. She had a reputation to keep, even with the least of the human population. Especially with the least of the human population. If she let it slide with them, word would get around fast. And then what would she do?_

 _Finally, she got to a part of the forest that she recognized by the distinct ax scars on the trees' trunks. Her old battleground. She had had to relocate because she didn't want the trees coming down because she had hit them so much. She took a hard left, and then a few steps later, a quick right, and then sprinted forward, inwardly daring him to fall behind. He didn't. He actually surprised her with how fast he could run. He didn't look like much, but apparently, he had good muscles. But, he was Stoick's son. He had to get something from him besides the faint streaks of auburn that she was sure no one else noticed. You had to get the light just right…_

 _She slowed to a jog when she neared the village, and then a walk. She took four deep breaths and then didn't allow herself to breathe hard anymore. She wasn't a wimp. She could take it. She felt her pulse slow, and then she felt safe to talk. "There. See? Nothing to worry about."_

" _Th-thank you! I really didn't realize how far the fwoggy had taken me." No one ever said he wasn't smart. He sounded like it too. But she was smart. She knew she was. She knew big words. LIke precocious. They were both precocious. That's it. But she was smarter than him. Right? She had to be._

" _No problem. But next time, I'm leaving you for dead. Got it?"_

" _Yeah! Thanks!" He smiled at her. His smile was filled with gaps where his teeth hadn't grown in yet, and he had dimples. She liked dimples…_

 _Wait a minute…_

 _No! No. She didn't like his dimples._

 _She had to get out of there._

" _I got places to be. Bye." Astrid spun on her heel and walked away, very aware of the fact that his eyes were still on her back as she retreated. She pretended that she didn't notice. DIdn't care. But she did. She always did._

Astrid took a deep breath. She had refused to admit a lot of things to herself back then. And she was starting to do that again. She didn't like it one bit. But she didn't know what else to do.

Ruffnut flew up on Barf and Belch, but not with Tuffnut but with the youngest of the five Thorston kids, Indie. She was 12 and absolutely loved it when her big sister took her out flying. Ruffnut was Indie's hero. Astrid felt a pang. She used to have that….. Astrid pushed that away - for the umpteenth time- and turned her full attention to Ruffnut.

"Astrid! Oh, thank Thor I found you! We need you on Berk. Like, desperately. Everything is chaos! Which, personally, I have nothing against, but no one else likes it and Fishlegs sent me to get you and you know how that is…" Ruff smiled. Astrid did know how it was. Young love. It never lasts.

"Okay, I'm coming." Astrid whistled for Stormfly, and she came trotting from amongst the trees. "Oh, I never will get tired of watching this magnificent creature make her entrance," Astrid breathed. She reached up for the handles, and in an instant, she was airborne once again. "Next stop: Berk!" Astrid called to Stormfly and then spun to make sure Ruffnut and Indie were following and satisfied that they were, rode off into the sunset for Berk. She'd be there in 5 minutes, tops.

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 _Hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to review if you did! Also, if you have any ideas for what you want to happen, leave those too! Any ideas may be accepted for the future if I like them!_


	7. Chapter 7: A Hero with a Big Name

_Hey guys! Chapter 7, here we go! A lil' more comic relief for you!_

 _Enjoy!_

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 **Chapter 7: A Little Hero with a Big Name**

* * *

Once they got back to Berk, Astrid landed and could do nothing but stare in horror. She had been gone for no more than an hour, and the entire village had erupted into complete chaos. There's a fine line between chaos and all the hullabaloo normal to Vikings, and the village as a whole had just crossed it. The Hairy Hooligans were known for their ready sense of violence and disorder, but this was too much. You couldn't tell that 50 minutes earlier it had been at least somewhat liveable.

With Valka off talking to the MIA chief and herself flown away for a while, there was no one in charge, unless you counted Gobber, but Astrid didn't since his forge had just burned to the ground. He was a little occupied at the moment. There had been nobody to hold the people accountable and oversee what was being done. And now they were all going to pay for it.

* * *

Hiccup had known there was chaos equal to an erupting volcano outside, but he didn't care, nor did he make any moves to stop it. His life was a crummy mess, why shouldn't the village be the same? His father had always said that "his village was a reflection of the chief," he reasoned. So it truly was. Besides, he was busy remembering all the good times he had had with Astrid. Like the time when they were 5, and they were playing doctor. Astrid and Hiccup had been volunteered to go get an imaginary ingredient to save a dying Fishleg's life, and along the way, Astrid had been swinging her wooden sword (fighting an imaginary forest monster deep in the heart of the Unexplored Wood) and had hit him. She was convinced that she had hurt him and demanded to give him a (pretend) professional's opinion. In an intimate place. He had bluntly refused, of course.

Hiccup shook his head. He didn't want to think about that.

Ah. Here was a better one. One time when they were 3, there had been a story that had marked the beginning of his liking Astrid.

 _It was a normal day on Berk. Windy, patchy sun. Cold. Nothing really special about it. On this very normal day, something not so normal was going to happen._

 _Just like any little kid, Hiccup was fascinated with things and was very curious. He was a charming little kid, and anyone who met him thought he was adorable. One of the many things that made him different was the fact that he was highly intelligent for his age. He was born early and barely made it, but when he did, his father was astonished by how much he knew. He was talking when he was 6 months old, reading when he was 1, and learning some of the basic subjects from his dad by 2 ½. Also, like young children, he had a want to please those in authority. He did everything he could to make his dad happy and proud of him._

 _So, one day, he saw a frog and decided that he would kill it and bring its heart to his father to show him how big and Viking-like he was getting. That decided, he started running after the frog. Unfortunately, having only been in school for 5 months, he hadn't yet learned that nine times out of ten, the frog will hop away. Put simply, it did. This didn't bother the young heir. He was going to chase it. He was Hiccup Horrodeos Haddock, future chief of the mighty Hairy Hooligans, how dare something as simple and small as a frog run away from him? It couldn't hide from the wrath of one small boy with the big heart of a chief. Oh yes, he would catch it…._

 _He ran for what seemed like miles._

 _Keep going…._

 _Pant, pant._

 _Keep going!_

 _Ok, what harm would one small, teensy weensy little break do? Surely no harm. After all, if he wanted to catch that frog, he couldn't be panting, and he couldn't be sweating when he brought the froggie's heart to his father, could he? No. That's not how heroes made their entrance. Much the opposite. He leaned against a big rock, realizing with a start that the frog had led him farther than he had wanted. He was in the forest. The big, dark, *gulp* scary forest. And, he didn't know how to get home._

" _H-hello? Anyone around?" He weakly called, trying to sound cool, but to no avail. The scared little hero started to cry. "Daddy? Where am I?" No answer. He started sobbing. He was all alone, Daddy was too busy to come looking for him, and they eventually would find his cold, dead body, and all cry for the sake of poor little Hiccup, the one they all laughed at because sometimes his feet didn't keep up with the rest of him. Then, he heard rustling. The hairs on his arms prickled and stood on end, showing his obvious fear that he was determined to hide. Was it a dragon? A bear? A wild yak? What fate would come to him this time? Then, from in the midst of the bushes, came a girl. A mean girl. Her name was Astrid. She always beat him up for no apparent reason._

" _Oh, um, hi Astrid. I'll leave now."_

" _Are you crying?" Oh great, an interrogation. Hiccup resisted the urge to roll his eyes and answer with sarcasm. That would earn him a thorough beating._

" _Um…"_

" _Why are you crying?" Well, at least she had eyes….._

" _I…. I'm lost. I didn't mean to get lost! I was just trying to catch a fwoggy and it got away! I just wanted to bring it to my dad so he would be proud of me, and maybe- OW!" Astrid had punched him in the shoulder. Nothing new there._

" _What was that for?" Hiccup questioned. She had hit him on the shoulder right in the middle of the socket, and he had a bruise there from falling earlier that day. He had no reason to be hit, and she had no right to hit him. But no one, not anyone, stood up to fearless Astrid Hofferson, or any of the Hoffersons for that matter._

" _Stop whining. Stop crying. Come on." Astrid grabbed his hand so fast he had no time to react. And by the time he tried to pull away, there was no use. They were already moving. Oh well, maybe she knew the way back home. They had nothing to lose. Well, except their lives…._

 _She dragged him around for a long time. Tree after tree after tree. It all looked the same. Hiccup gave up trying to remember where they were turning. He just went with it. He stubbed his toes a lot since he wasn't watching, but he was more than used to that. He did it all the time. Then, they came up to a circle of trees that had a lot of slashes in them. Dragon marks? Ax marks? What were they? Hiccup almost spoke up and asked to stop to figure out what they were (and his lungs were KILLING him so he would love the break), but then he stopped himself. He knew better. He looked at Astrid. She seemed to have brightened up, a hint of a smile on her face. He never noticed he had dimples and her freckles! They were so darn cute! They were faint, barely there, but in this light, the green light that filtered through the leaves, they stood out. And her blue eyes? Bluer than the bluest sky, purer than the purest ocean, and more beautiful than the place where the bluest sky and the purest ocean meet. He could get lost in them. The tan undertones from her father, the gold specks around the edges… oh, Thor. He always liked to think of himself as observant, but this was a step too far. Still… his heart was fluttering. He pushed that feeling down. He was three, for goodness sake! He shook himself solemn, and then noticed that he saw… Berk! They were home!_

" _There, see? Nothing to worry about." That was an understatement. Focus! Oh gosh. His newfound fascination with her was making it hard to concentrate._

" _Th-thank you! I really didn't realize how far the fwoggy had taken me." He really didn't. He was too busy being a hero._

" _No problem. But next time, I'm leaving you for dead. Got it?" Ooh, ferocious! Yet, compassionate. She hid that part really well though. At first glance, she was "miss warrior girl, cross my path and you'll die." But not underneath._

" _Yeah! Thanks!" Oh, that smile in the corners of her mouth!_

 _"I got places to be. Bye." Astrid spun on her heel and walked away, leaving him staring at her in fascination. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was a little boy with a very big name. But now, he was a little boy with a big name but an even bigger crush, and he vowed that someday, he would go and marry that girl._

* * *

 _Hope you guys enjoyed that! :)_

 _On a different note, I have had a few people ask me about Agnus' story. Now. That will be revealed... later! For now, it's a surprise. But, you can guess if you want. Any guesses as to what the story is? Leave a review below- it doesn't matter if they're outrageous! In fact, the more outrageous, the better! :)_


	8. Chapter 8: The Past Meets the Present

_Hey guys! So, a wittle cutey-cuteness for you! Plus, a bunch of you have been waiting for this chapter sooo... here it is! :)_

 _Side note, I know the text changes size several times. I don't know how to fix that yet, so bear with me! Also, I change POV a lot lot lot... Hiccup's thoughts/parts are in bold and Astrid's are underlined. This is just for the first little bit._

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 8: The Past Meets the Present**

* * *

 **Hiccup sighed. Life was so easy then. He had loved (and still did love) Astrid, but know he had accidentally, not on purpose** broken **up with her. And it was making his life miserable. With every second that passed, every fiber of his being longed for her to be his girlfriend again. He was such an _idiot_! Why in the world did he have the continuous problem that he didn't wake fully up before he did anything? The gods hated him! They hated him, hated him, hated him! He screamed in frustration before kicking the door frame with his good foot and then screamed in agony as searing pain shot up his leg. He couldn't even think long enough to use his stupid metal prosthetic to kick the door frame. He collapsed in the fetal position, curled into a ball with his arms above his head, and just sobbed. His whole life was a stupid mud pit. He didn't even want to live anymore. Then he remembered something his mom had said, something about Ruffnut bring Astrid to her because she was suicidal. Now he was too. Then he heard a knock on the door.**

She had no other choice. She needed help. If _Agnus_ where here, surely she would help Astrid, but Agnus wasn't here so Astrid had to get help from somebody. The twins were out. They loved destruction and probably would be more of a hindrance than a help. Fishlegs was too analyzed, he wouldn't do much without a plan a, b, c, and possibly d and e. And Snotlout? No way she was working with him right now. And surely Valka was busy trying to get various dragons under control or trained. Maybe Arrow was one of them. She cleared her mind of her baby and marched up to the front door. _His_ front door. Oh gods, she couldn't do this! Here she was, having just been broken up with, and now she was at his front door and hour and a half later, asking him for help. What would happen now? Would he scream at her some more?

She knocked.

 **Hiccup groaned, getting up. He scrubbed his face. It wasn't really dirty, just tired, physically, mentally, and emotionally. He walked down the stairs**.

You know what? She'd give him a chance. Valka had mentioned that perhaps he didn't know what he was doing at the time. She wouldn't do anything foolish, in case he had, but he deserved a chance. Just in case.

Oh, that telltale sound of the step- _thunk_ of his foot and prosthetic as they hit the floor. Music to her ears. It always would be.

 **He opened the door to find… a smiling Astrid. Immediately his heart sang. Oh, those _dimples!_**

His lopsided grin. A sight for sore eyes.

His words interrupted her thoughts. "Hey Astrid! Wh-what're you doing here?"

Nervous stuttering. She knew him too well. She smiled another trademark Astrid Hofferson smile and said, "Well, I need your help."

 ** _DIMPLES!_ He must've died and gone to Valhalla. "Ok. But why don't you come in first? I've got something for you first."**

Astrid took a tentative step inside the hut that used to be his father's. She wasn't sure what to expect from him anymore. So, she collected her courage and expected the worst.

"So…" Hiccup was so adorable. He totally didn't know how to go about whatever he had in mind. "I talked to my mom."

"Oh? What did she have to say?"

"Lots. Mostly stuff she heard around the village from people. About people."

"Gossip."

"Um, well, no. I mean, people are concerned and… yeah, you can call it gossip." Hiccup's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Who's the victim?"

"Um…"

"Hiccup!" Astrid bristled. She didn't like the sound of this.

"You…"

"Good god Thor. What next?" Astrid was beyond frustrated. Was this a dream?

"Just listen to me!" She startled. Hiccup never snapped! "Please?" Puppy eyes. He was calm again. She sighed.

"What's going around?"

"The reason behind why you're so violent."

"Oh gods." She couldn't breathe. Her lungs were literally closing in on themselves.

"My mom told me what she heard. But I want to hear the story from you. To see how close everyone isn't." Astrid exhaled sharply. "Calm down!" His eyes were filled with concern now. Her fists were clenching and unclenching madly. She was beyond furious. She was actually scarier than his father ever had been to him.

"Keep it together. Keep it together." Astrid couldn't let him see the tears in her eyes. She couldn't. She had to keep it together. "Conceal it. Don't feel it. Don't let it show."

Astrid turned from Hiccup, her knees shaking, barely breathing. Hiccup put his hand on her shoulder.

"I want to know about your past, Astrid. Why won't you tell me?"

"Because… I can't."

"Why?"

"I just can't."

"Whatever happened, it will probably help to talk about it."

She hesitated before answering. "Fine. If you want to hear about my past, then you will," she answered with narrowed eyes.

 _She was 4. Life was good. She had her own real battle ax, with a real blade. Finally. She had gotten an ax for her first birthday, but it had had a fake blade and wouldn't cut through anything. She loved it anyway. She couldn't walk yet and she couldn't hold it, but she could pull herself up using the table to stroke the handle. Even from a young age, she loved battle…_

 _One fine spring day it was a normal setup for the daily routine. Her brother, Mio, and her sister, Agnus, were outside running around with their Viking friends, getting out energy and practicing skills they had learned in their dragon fighting class. Her brother was 16 years old and her sister 14. They were a lot older than her, but that didn't stop them from running around with her. A lot._

 _Astrid was especially close to Agnus. They loved each other deeply and were practically inseparable._

 _But on this particular day, they were separated. Astrid could handle it for a while but she was still thinking of a bunch of things to tell her sister once she got home. She busied herself by playing with her toy Vikings and dragons that her father had hand carved for her once she started showing such an interest in battle. She loved acting out battle scenes with them. Today, Astrid the wooden Viking had killed a Deadly Nadder, as usual. Within two minutes of fighting, the Deadly Nadder's head was chopped off. Astrid had done it again with nothing but a shield. The triumphant victor. Again._

 _There was a knock at the door. Her father looked out the peephole, and his eyes widened. He latched the door, and then rushed over to Astrid, whisking up her toys and pushing them and Astrid into the closet, closing the door behind her. But Astrid pushed it back open just a touch so she could see what was happening. But she shouldn't have. She really shouldn't have._

 _Her mother walked over to her father, and he whispered in her ear, and she took in a breath. Then, they walked over to the door together and answered it._

 _A man whom Astrid had never seen before walked in, but his face was enough to make her shudder. He had blue stripes going across his face from the middle of his forehead to just below his left eye. His grin was too large for his face. And his voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard._

 _"_ _Good day, Mr. Hofferson, Mrs. Hofferson. Or is it?" He laughed. His laugh was so evil, so wrong, that Astrid let out a breath and took another. Then, all of a sudden, he took out a dagger._

 _"_ _Dagur, don't! PLEASE!"_

 _"_ _Be quiet! Or else I'll come after you first!" Her mother fell silent._

 _Dagur turned back to Mr. Hofferson, only to shove the dagger straight into his stomach. Her dad choked and fell over. Dagur stood over his body writhing in pain on the floor. Dagur walked over to Astrid's mom, chuckling under his breath. Then, he lunged. Wrapping his hands around her neck, he squeezed. Astrid saw her mom's neck bend in a way it shouldn't. Her mom gasped, her face turned pale, and she fell as well. Dagur, standing over her mom's trembling body, threw his head up and laughed. Each time he laughed it shook his entire body. Then, he walked out._

 _Astrid stayed in that closet for a long time, shaking and just trying to breathe. Her little brain could barely comprehend what had just happened. An evil man had come and murdered her parents, but why?_

 _Once she finally gathered up the courage and was sure he wasn't coming back, she pushed the door open. She walked over to her father and picked up his hand. Try as it might, her four-year-old brain just couldn't comprehend what she had seen. It refused to accept it. "Daddy? Daddy, wake up!" Her father had always responded to her before, even in the dead of night. But this time, he didn't. He couldn't. Astrid stood up and walked over to her mother. "Mommy, I'm thirsty. Can I have a drink? Mommy, wake up!" But she didn't. And Astrid started sobbing. She sobbed so loud that her brother and sister heard her from the arena and came running home together. They pushed open the door to find Astrid sobbing in between her parents, her clothes soaked in their father's blood._

 _A few days passed, and in those days, Astrid and her siblings had to bury both of their parents. And they mourned._

"Astrid, that's so sad! Why would you keep that inside you? Why would you keep this from me?"

"That's not the whole story, Hiccup. Be quiet and listen."

"Just a minute. I've never met Mio and Agnus. Why?" Her look shot daggers at him. "Oh…"

 _It was a few days after all of the previous events transpired. The shrunken family avoided talking about the topic, but it was on the top of their minds._

 _One night Astrid was woken up by the alarm. 'Dragon attack! Dragon attack!' Her brother ran past Astrid's room, where she was hauling her ax out from under her bed. "Astrid, no! You can't come out!"_

 _"_ _Why?!"_

 _"_ _Because you're too little. Sorry peanut."_

 _"_ _Hmph." Astrid slumped over and kicked her ax back under her bed. Then she walked over to her window to watch the action. She watched the older Vikings form their ranks, and get into the battle ready position. Then, as she watched, a Deadly Nadder came up behind them and set fire to their ranks. Tears rolled down her face as she watched her brother burn. Then, the Nadder took flight and flew over to the other block of ranks, and snatched up Vikings. Most of them fell. Her sister didn't. And Astrid never saw either of them again._

"I have to go. I forgot I have to do something." Astrid turned and nearly sprinted towards the door.

"Astrid, wait!"

"No, I have to go!" She slammed the door behind her. She couldn't let him see the tears streaming down her face.

* * *

 _Hope you guys enjoyed! There's Agnus and Mio for you!_

 _Also... who caught the reference? It was done without shame or regret, haha._

 _Don't forget to review! I love reading all of them, and they encourage me to keep writing!_


	9. Chapter 9: Return of an Old Friend

_Hey guys! So, I'm not at all happy with this chapter... but I don't know how to fix it. So. This is it._

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Return of an Old Friend**

* * *

Hiccup stared at the now-closed door in shock. He couldn't believe it. How could she have kept something this big from everybody in the village? Only a select number of people were still alive from that time. And what his mother had gotten from Gobber was so unlike what Astrid had told him, he didn't know what to think. All his mother had was that Astrid's parents had died when she was little, her brother and sister went missing, and she had ended up living with her Uncle Finn for the rest of her young life until she was 16 and got her own place. But his mom had been right when she had said that there was probably a lot of the story that only Astrid knew. And Hiccup didn't doubt that there was probably more that Astrid wasn't telling, or maybe even some that she didn't know.

Still numb, he walked outside and stood on the front step. Just stood there. And he slowly looked over Berk. His house overlooked everything in the village since he was the chief.

Normally he loved the view.

Now he hated it.

His whole point of view had changed. Having someone so close to him reveal how much she had been hurting tore him apart. It tore his heart apart. Here he was whining about his dad dying when he still had a mom left! And Astrid had been one of his main support beams during the whole thing, and he hadn't even known that she had no parents at all! Now he could see it, because he knew. But he should have known. Once in a while, Astrid sure would have enjoyed somebody at her house to come home to…

Snapping out of his daze, he looked down to the main path… And saw Heather walking down the street. It had been five years since he saw her last! Maybe she could help him!

"Heather!"

"Hi Hiccup! I hear you're the chief of this fine village now, huh?"

"Oh yeah, sure. Hey, listen. I need you to do a favor for me."

"Okay, what?"

"Come with me, and I'll explain everything."

* * *

After Hiccup explained his plan to Heather, she left to go carry out her part, while Hiccup started his part. First, clean his house. Since he had become chief, his house had become a little bit… messy to say the least. And if he was going to sit in here with Astrid and have a calming talk-it-out, he was going to need to have a calming atmosphere. Sighing, Hiccup bent and began his work.

* * *

Meanwhile, Heather was on a mission. Her mission? Finding Astrid and trying to get her mind off her conversation with Hiccup. The problem was that Heather had no idea in the slightest where she might have retreated to. Apparently, she didn't have anybody at her house to come home and talk to so she wouldn't have gone there. She probably wouldn't have gone to the arena because that was a public place. So, Heather ambled off into the woods, thinking that Astrid might have gone there to have her way with some unfortunate trees.

* * *

Blindly, Astrid ran. She ignored the pain in her legs, the burn in her lungs. She ignored the tears that flowed down her face. She stumbled. Stupid pit. Who would've put that pit there? Picking herself up again, she took in her surroundings, looking around her for any indication as to where she was. She saw trees, bushes, and the occasional Typhoomarang burn mark. Wait, was that… It was! The entrance to Toothless' cove! It was overgrown. Nobody had been here in years. But, it was a private place where she wouldn't be discovered. Where nobody would find her until she wanted to be found.

She started to hack her way in. Ducking under the shield that nobody had bothered to pull out since Hiccup had been here, she entered the cove. It was as peaceful as she remembered. The quiet little lake in the middle, with a few fish in it, rippled as the wind swept gently over it. The leaves in the trees whispered to each other like a couple of elderly ladies gossiping at a hair salon. A bird chirped occasionally. She could see why Toothless and Hiccup loved this place. She was beginning to as well.

* * *

Panting, Heather ran up to Hiccup's house and burst in. "Hiccup! I can't find her anywhere!"

"Wait, are you sure? You've looked everywhere?"

"Yes! But I still don't get what the deal is. I mean, she'll turn up eventually, right?"

"I… I think so. But I need to find her. I'm not her favorite person in the world right now and I want to fix that."

"But why? You broke up with her. And there are still plenty of fish in the sea."

"What?"

"There are always more girls that you can date… Like, I don't know… me?"

"And the awkwardness amps."

" Haha. But for real. There's always someone else."

"But not for me. I love Astrid and I can't imagine ever loving anyone else."

"Yeah, that's what they all say," Heather muttered.

"What's that?"

"Nothing…"

"Okay, so anyway, you looked everywhere for her? The woods?"

"Well I mean I looked everywhere but the woods really, I mean, how are you supposed to find somebody in a bunch of trees? I went to the edge of the trees and kinda looked around a little but I didn't spend much time there."

"But that's probably where she is. But where in the woods would she go if she wanted to be left alone? It would have to be… Hmm… Wait! I've got an idea! You look around the village again and see if you just missed her. If you find her, send Windshear to find me."

"Okay, but where will you be?"

"Around!"

"Wait, Hiccup! I need more information than that," Heather urgently called after him, her voice trailing off. "Ugh. And, he's gone."

* * *

Hiccup ran, his foot and prosthetic thumping the ground heavily as he bore on. He had a gut feeling as to where his ex-girlfriend-hopefully re-girlfriend-had gone, but he didn't know what gave him the idea. Why would she go there?

* * *

Astrid's thoughts whirled around in her head like sand in a dust storm. She had so much on her plate that she didn't know how to bear it all anymore. For a brief second, she wondered if this was what Hiccup felt like every day now that he was chief. She shook the thought away and sat up against Toothless' rock. Then, she heard footsteps. She looked up to find…

"Gustav? What are you doing here?"

"I come here a lot. It's a good place to sit and sort out your problems. Why are you here?"

"I've just got a lot to think about."

"Oh. I heard about you and the chief. I'm sorry if that fits how you're feeling."

"I don't know how I'm feeling."

"Well, if things don't work out, remember, there's always more fish in the sea."

"You know what? You're right! There are more fish in the sea! I don't have to sit around and brood over Hiccup anymore."

"On that note, I have something to ask you."

"Ok, what is it?"

"Astrid, I've been wanting to ask you this for a while but never worked up the nerve. Now seems like a good time though." Gustav drew a deep breath. "Astrid… will you go out with me sometime? It doesn't have to be soon, just some time. Oh my gosh, I cannot believe I just said that you, I mean-"

"Gustav! You're almost as bad as Hiccup at rambling. Yes. I will go out with you. Whenever it works for you, I'm open." Astrid briefly wondered why she was agreeing, but then decided, well, why not?

"Great!" Astrid and Gustav smiled at each other.

"GUUUSSTAAAAV!"

"Shoot. That's my mom calling me. I should probably go."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." Astrid stood and gave her new boyfriend a quick side hug. Gustav hugged her back. Then, he bid her goodbye and ran off.

* * *

Hiccup arrived at the cove, just in time to see Astrid hug Gustav. The hug lingered for just a little too long for his taste. This could only mean one thing. Astrid and Gustav had something going on. And he didn't like it. "This? This means war!"

* * *

 _Hope you guys enjoyed! Don't forget to review!_


	10. Chapter 10: Stirring of the Water

_Hey guys! So, I just want to clear one thing up, and then I have one other little thing that I changed in chapter 8. But, if you don't care to read a humble author's request and instead just want to read the chapter, I won't be offended! Skip the italicized part. You're welcome. :)_

 _First things first._

 _Kindly refrain from judging me for breaking Hiccup and Astrid up and pairing them with new people. I don't like it any more than you do, but trust the story line. Please. I have gotten several nasty guest reviews about this. Just please, please trust the story. It all works out. It may not be what you want or think should happen, but it does work out. Plus, there's no one forcing you to read this story. If you don't like it, please don't waste your time leaving a review and just stop reading. Simple. Okay?_

 _Okay. Glad we got that cleared up._

 _(No snarkiness intended. Just a small request.)_

 _The other thing is I did go back and change a few things in chapter 8. All I did was take Dagur out. I had someone leave me a review reminding me of the very important detail that Dagur is only a year older than Hiccup and Astrid, and I just don't think a five-year-old would murder someone. Even five-year-old Dagur. Small animals? I don't know, maybe? But definitely not people. So, thank you for that reminder!_

 _So the killer in chapter 8 is now a mystery man. He shall be revealed later. Hehe! *insert evil look and tapping fingers together dramatically*_

 _ANYWAY!_

 _Enough with boring author's note, let's move on! Without further ado, chapter 10! (The big double digits now, whoo hoo!)_

* * *

Hiccup trudged back the way he had come, his shoulders heavy with a new-found dreariness like he had never known before. He couldn't believe that Astrid had appeared to have already found someone else to be with! It had only been less than 24 hours! It didn't make sense, something didn't add up.

It just didn't make any sense whatsoever.

Astrid was smart. She wouldn't replace him so fast, not after everything that they had been through, all the times he had nearly died for the village. All the times he had nearly died for her. All the good times they had had, all the bad times they had survived. All the times he helped her when she was hurt or sick, and all the times she had returned the favor.

And he always thought that they were forever.

Sheesh.

He sighed. Love was a petty thing, something that people look forward to for their entire lives, and then they thought they had fallen in love, only to find that they hadn't and they had wasted their precious time on something that just broke your heart in the end.

Then, he heard a voice behind him. "Hiccup!"

He turned around and saw Heather standing next to him, near Astrid's house. He hadn't realized he was going there, nor had he realized that he had gotten that far.

"Hey Heather," he replied gloomily. Could you really expect him to be chipper at a time like this? His world was crashing in on itself!

Heather's bright eyes widened with concern. "What's wrong? You look like you lost a puppy."

"Much worse. Astrid's dating Gustav." Admitting it out loud made it even worse.

"Oh. Wait, really?" She looked at him, and he nodded slightly. "Huh. Never would have guessed her to fall for him…I've known her for a long time. Of course, not as long or as well as you, but still..."

Hiccup sighed for what seemed to be the thousandth time."Yeah, it's the falling for him that I have a problem with."

"Hiccup. Don't worry about it. She's obviously moved on. So should you." Heather hoped to stir his heart a little, make him a little less gloomy, help him see the light and start to move on.

Hiccup looked up at her with heavy eyes. "I guess you're right."

Then an idea whizzed through his head. Revenge.

"Hey, Heather?"

"Yes Hiccup."

"So… I have a crazy idea… And I don't know why I have it, or why I'm doing this, but here it goes. Would you like to help me move on by being my girlfriend?"

Heather sucked in a breath. "I would love to. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to ask that question."

"Oh wait really? Heh, yeah, well, I guess it took something like this to make it happen…" He said, his voice trailing off.

"Hey, don't look to the past anymore. What's done is done, the past is the past. You can't change it, you can only learn from your mistakes and do better in the future. At least, that's what I've found." Heather took his hand. "If you want this now, look me in the eyes and tell me you're going to move on from this. I don't want to date you if you're always going to be brooding over Astrid. I want to date you when you're ready. And if that's not now, then I'll wait. But look me in the eye and be honest with me."

"I promise I will not brood over Astrid, and I will learn from my mistakes and not repeat them. Instead, I will embrace a relationship with you. And I just realized something…"

"What?" Heather's eyebrows furrowed with curiosity, and she looked at him with big green eyes, bright in the early evening sun.

"Do you know how pretty your eyes are?" His voice was barely a whisper.

"Well… I'll take your word for it." Her voice was a little shaky.

He leaned in. She closed the gap.

Unknown to them, there was a much-unwanted presence lurking nearby in the dark foliage, sharp blue eyes watching their every move. "Just you wait Hiccup. Just. You. Wait."

* * *

Astrid closed the door to her hut behind her and leaned against it, heaving a breathless sigh. So much had happened in that day, all of it so fast it literally made her head spin. First, she had been broken up with, then she had gotten together with Gustav, which was a decision she regretted. Already he had brought her flowers twice, a new ax, and four cards. He was being sweet in his own way, but come on! She had a life! She didn't have enough time every day to deal with an overbearing boyfriend on top of everything else.

A knock sounded. She groaned, rolled her eyes, and muttered, "Come on, I just got home, Gustav!" She opened the door resisting the urge to lash out as she did so. "Hi Gustav… Oh! Heather!" She nearly squealed with delight.

"Hi Astrid!" Heather smiled widely, grinning at her best friend's enthusiasm. But, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty… best friends don't steal best friends' boyfriends behind their backs. She shook the feeling off and looked into Astrid's bright, blue, excited eyes.

"Well, don't just stand there! Come in!" Astrid's voice was higher than usual, indicating she was very excited.

"Don't mind if I do." Heather entered the house and took a quick look around. Well, this was certainly Astrid's house! Axes, spears, swords, and shields lined the walls. "Well, you certainly have a distinct taste, huh?"

"Yeah…maybe a little..." Astrid's cheeks flushed slightly. Who cared if she had a… unique decorating style?

"Gustav, Astrid? You're dating Gustav?" Heather liked cutting right to the point.

"Yeah, well, I mean, he asked me, and I felt cornered. His face was so full of hope, and it sounded like he was nervous, and he was probably rehearsing that for a long time. I couldn't just say no… But do you have any idea how annoying Gustav is?"

"Yes. I dated him. For a day. That's literally as long as it lasted." Heather chuckled slightly. "I found him a bit demanding."

"I agree. But…You know, you have to admit he's sweet though. In his own way."

"Come on, Astrid. Only you would think that," Heather stated, quirking an eyebrow.

"Whatever."

"So… to change the topic… I'd rather you hear this from me than from around the village like I'm sure it already is. Um… I'm dating someone."

"Uh… why is that a bad thing? That's a very good thing! Congrats! I'm so happy for you! This is the first one since you dated Fishlegs, right? And that ended, what, two ye-"

"Hold your happiness. Yes, I'm dating someone. Yes, it's a good thing. But what might not be so good, for you anyway, is who I'm dating."

"Who are you dating?" Astrid's voice was laced with hardness and a little bit of something else dangerous-sounding that Heather couldn't put her finger on.

"I'm dating Hiccup."

"WHAT?!" Astrid's voice screeched through the house, sending several Terrible Terrors that were nearby scattering in confusion.

"Yeah. But listen to me. I know this is a rebound romance, I know it's not going to last, I know he's hurting, and I suspect he's trying to get back at you for dating Gustav."

"But.. but… that's different!" Astrid sputtered. "I'm the one that was broken up with, not him! He broke up with ME!"

"It's not different in his mind. He didn't intend for this and I know he didn't want it and I'm sure if he had been thinking clearly, he never in a million years would have done this. I know that and so do you. He's hurting. Just let this play out. But I just wanted you to hear it from me first."

"I'm so angry at you right now… but… I have one question."

"Name it."

Is… is Hiccup ok Really truly ok? Is he happy?"

"So you do still care for him, just like I knew you did. Yes, he's ok, right now anyway. I made him be ok for now. I made him put his mind somewhere else. It took him a while, but yes. But by no means is he anywhere close to over you, and I know he will come back to you with time"

Astrid nodded with tears in her eyes.

"Look, I have to go."

"So soon? Why don't you stay? I can make some tea. I know I'm mad at you, but I still want to spend time with you. You're my best friend."

"I want to spend time with you too, but I only came over to make sure you made it home. I'm supposed to be somewhere else right now. I'm so sorry."

"Ok. I guess I'll see you later then? Maybe I'll be less angry then too..."

"You know it!" Heather stepped out of the hut, closing the door behind her.

"Okay then." Astrid's shoulders slumped. "That's ok."

"Hey Aaaastriid, where are you?"

Instantly, she tensed. There was someone in her house! And the voice sounded like…

"Hey girl!"

"Help me!"

* * *

 _There it is! Lots happened this time, huh? Lots for you to review about! Like... who was the blue-eyed person watching Heather and Hiccup from the bushes? Who is in Astrid's house? Will Heather and Hiccup last, or will they fall apart?_

 _Hope you enjoyed!_


	11. Chapter 11: Black as Night

Hey guys! I am SO BEYOND EXCITED to have this chapter for you guys! I just know you're gonna love it! Things are really starting to gear up now!

Side note, just in case you were curious. You can skip this part if you want. The villain that I introduce in this chapter has only had a name and a person (I guess) for 26 hours now. I pulled him together super super fast. I had all the aspects in my head, but they needed to be put down on paper, and he of course had to have a name! I found the name right off the bat, first google search. After that, everything just FELL IN. It was magical. I knew who he was, I knew what he was motivated by, I even put a quote that he says down on paper right then. The part about payment being due in full and the price to pay. It was so cool. Just in case you were curious about his character development. It was rapid. That being said, I ABSOLUTELY love him. He might replace Tuff and Ruff as my favorite character(s) to write!

Hope you enjoy the chapter!

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 **Chapter 11: Black as Night**

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Hiccup was sitting in his house eating dinner when he heard a clatter upstairs. He jumped up and flew up the stairs to his room, pushing open the hatch with a force he didn't know he had.

"Dang, Hiccup! Why do you have to put stuff in the middle of the room?" came a voice out of the darkness. Hiccup cocked his head, trying to figure out who the voice belonged to- to no avail.

His eyes searched the black darkness of his room, looking for the source of the voice. Then… He saw a figure standing next to Toothless' rock that he used as a bed. "Who are you?" Skepticism filled his voice.

The decidedly feminine voice groaned. "Don't get your shirt in a bunch. I'm a friend. If you could light a lamp you could see me."

"Okay, fine then. But don't move, or I'm gonna send Toothless after you." She (he?) didn't have to know that Toothless was off playing with Stormfly in a place only the gods knew the location of.

"Fair. I've got to say, pretty impressive, taming a Nightfury. I've never been able to find one."

"Toothless may be the last one," Hiccup cautiously told the intruder, fumbling around his desk looking for a match to light the lamp.

"That very well may be. Ah, there we go." Hiccup had found a match and lit the lamp. The light revealed a tall, thin figure wearing black clothes and a face mask that covered everything except the eyes.

"You look kind of like Heather wearing her flight stuff." He wanted to slap himself for that comment.

"Yeah but I'm not." With that, she whipped the hood off her head, revealing long braided blonde hair and blue eyes. Hiccup took a breath.

"Ah. You do see the resemblance. My name is Agnus. I know you've heard of me from my sister. Oh! And by the way, I'm not very happy with you. You've crushed her." Well. She certainly cut to the chase.

Hiccup felt his blood pressure rising rapidly "No way. No. I must be dreaming. There is no way Astrid's dead sister is talking to me. OUCH!" Agnus had walked over and slapped him on the face.

"I'm not dead. I was taken by the dragons, but I learned to make friends with them. I've been watching you all for a while now. I know all about you." Creepy. Sort of. She looked so much like Astrid! Except… her jaw was more defined, and she had more prominent cheekbones… and much broader. She didn't need armor to make her look broader.

"How? How have you been watching us? Someone had to have seen you."

"I have a Changewing. She can hide me from all of you. A talent you didn't know they had, huh?"

"Whoa… that is SO COOL!" He was having a freak-out moment now. "Have you talked to Fishlegs? He would sooo love this."

"No. I haven't. But listen to me right now. Right now. Please. We don't have much time."

"How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you're someone I can trust and not someone playing a sick joke on me and on Astrid?"

"If you love Astrid as much as you claimed, you'll trust me and you'll listen. Please, she's my sister and I'll do anything to protect her but… I can't do it alone. I need help. I need your help. Please." Her voice had that same breathless pleading sound to it that Astrid had when she was passionate about something. He couldn't help but break.

"What?" he sighed.

"As I said, I've been watching you for a while. And I know Astrid is being hunted. I fear she is in immediate danger right now."

"What? Who is hunting her? Surely not someone from the tribe… right?"

"No. The man who has an unexplainable passion and drive to kill the Hofferson family."

"What? Are you SERIOUS?"

"Yes." Her tone was clipped, strained, and 100% determined. She had to be right.

"Well then...Let's go!"

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Astrid backed away from the direction of the voice cautiously, backing unsteadily away from the stairs and into her living room. "Where are you? Show yourself. Show yourself now," she commanded, fingers closing tightly around the handle of her favorite ax. "Show yourself so I can beat your insides to a pulp."

"Come on now, there's no need for you to be violent. Let your guard down. Come on, all I want to do is talk." The man's voice was pleading. Coaxing. Friendly. Astrid wasn't sure what to think anymore… everything inside her screamed to never under any circumstances trust an intruder who came into her house in the middle of the night, much less a male one. Maybe she was just tired...But… he sounded… almost inviting?

"What do you want from me?" Her voice trembled, and she told herself to get a grip. Astrid Hofferson did not get feared. Not outwardly anyway.

Heavy footfalls sounded, rapidly coming down the stairs from her room. He was running now. "Nothing." A black figure stepped out of the shadows by the kitchen. "Nothing, that is," he paused, and his hand snuck behind him. "Except your life." With that, he lunged at her, his hand revealing a dagger blade six inches long. She screamed, swinging her ax into ready position, feet propelling toward the wall behind her. Her back hit the wall. She caught the man with her ax handle, holding him back. Her eyes focused on the blade.

"Is that… blood?"

"Why yes. Your father's blood."

Astrid gasped, nausea flooding her system. Her vision swam. "You dirty lowdown no good bucket head!"

"Ah ah, let's not get too hasty now. Don't start with the name calling yet. You don't even know who I am. You don't even know my name! Let's start there."

Astrid growled at him. "I don't need to know your name. I know you killed my parents, and that's all I need to know!"

"SHUT UP!" His voice reverberated around the wooden walls of her hut. Astrid's mouth slammed shut with an audible snap. "That's better. Allow me to introduce myself before I kill you."

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Hiccup and Agnus thundered down the path to Astrid's house, desperately trying to get there as fast as they could, motivated by fear and running on adrenaline. Panting, Agnus filled him in as they ran. "Okay, so the best I can understand is that Nightbane has a thirst for blood that is rivaled by nothing, motivated by a century-long legend about the sword he was named after. I'm sure you've heard of the legendary Killer of the Thousands?"

"The dragon killer who lived on Berserker Island a long long time ago who made a living killing dragons?"

"That's the one. Anyway, apparently Mr. Hofferson owed Nightbane some money that Mr. Hofferson forgot about. So, he decided that the entire Hofferson family deserved to die in order to repay the debt."

"How does that even make sense? That doesn't make sense. In any way."

"He's sick in his head. Anyway, Nightbane missed Astrid the first time around and came to finish off the job. He's been watching her for a while now, and I've been watching him. He's got her schedules and routines down like clockwork. He knows when she's at home and when she's not. And when she's alone and when he's not. And I intercepted Terror Mail that Nightbane sent to one of his men that mentioned something about today being vital to the plan. I fear the worst." Hiccup shuddered.

"Sick. Sick sick man."

"I know. Oh! I forgot to mention. Nightbane is related to someone you know and have clashed with many times in the past."

Hiccup stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Agnus with wide eyes. "NO. Tell me it isn't so."

"Sorry, I can't. Nightbane the Bloodthirsty is none other than the older brother of Dagur the Deranged." Her voice was grim and dark. Fitting.

"Good gods help me. Come on, her house is just up ahead!"

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He fondled the ax blade. "My name is Nightbane. I am named after a legendary sword, yielded by my ancestor a number of hundred years ago that has been lost to time, but the legend of the Nightbane has been passed down through the generations. The sword was used to kill hundreds upon hundreds of dragons and other equally monstrous beasts, making my ancestor the most feared dragon killer in the archipelago. Even more than your Stoick the Vast." He snarled the name with disgust. "The Nightbane's bloody appetite remains unquenchable. But, since we no longer kill dragons anymore apparently, the Nightbane's thirst for blood must be quenched another way. The price must be paid in full. And means for the price to be paid now? Human blood!"

He threw his head back and shook so violently that his body coursed with it, an image from Astrid's nightmares. She felt shivers go up and down her spine. She was beginning to feel sick. She willed herself not to throw up. This could not be happening.

"Nightbane's next victim is you," Nightbane stated simply. Then he lunged for her once again.

Astrid screamed, delivering a punch to his chest that pushed him back but was nowhere near as strong as she had intended. Astrid was finding it hard to focus. Nevertheless, Nightbane, caught off balance and by surprise, fell to the floor. Astrid ran around him and up the stairs to her bedroom, hoping to get out the window. Time seemed to slow as she heard Nightbane recover and begin pounding up the stairs after her, his evil laugh sounding once again. She reached the window and leaned out. "Stormfly! Stormfly come here please! Please help me!"

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Hiccup, hearing her frantic cry, raced harder, willing himself to get there before the inevitable happened. He couldn't lose Astrid, not like this. "Come on baby, just fight a little longer…"

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Nightbane's footsteps pounded up the stairs and into her room. "Ah ah ah, now Astrid, I thought you were smarter than that. You are not going anywhere little girl."

"Don't call me that you disgusting monster! You pervert!"

"Come on, let's not get unreasonable here."

"You are! You are a disgusting monster! You killed my father! You killed my mother! You're trying to kill me!"

"Yes. but it's my job. I exterminate those who deserve to be exterminated. I literally don't have a choice. Besides, the traitor always dies."

"What? What do you mean?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

Astrid's eyes widened in shock. There was only one thing he could be talking about. "How?" she breathed.

"I was there, Astrid."

"No. No. Nononono."

"And I'm going to tell the entire village what you did."

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 _WELL! That was exciting! What'd y'all think of Nightbane? I love him. There's something very evil about him that makes me love him as my villan. He sends chills down my spine! *shudders* Ooh!_

 _Anyway, don't forget to leave a review telling me what you think!_


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